Improvement in dash-boards



T W GW'IN sheets -sheet 1.

Dashboard.

ATTORNEYS,

ril 22; 1879.

Patented A N.PETERS. P R. WASHINGTON, u C

T. W. GWINN..

. Dashboard. No. 214,505. Patented April 22, 1879.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. I

will/"111,2

WITNES ES v INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS- NJUERS. PHOTO-LITHDGRAPNER. WASHINGTON. D c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS WV. GVVINN, OF NEW FRANKFORT, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN DASH-BOARDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 214,505, dated April 22, 1879 application filed May 11, 1878.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. GWINN, of New Frankfort, in the county of Saline and State of Missouri, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Dash=Boards; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description oithe'construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of a perspective view of a carriage-body having my lap-cloth. Fig. 2 is a detail view of rod and rivet. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of part of my dash-board. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical central section of a wagon-bodywith my d ash-board applied; and Fig. 5 is a sectional View of a wagon-body, showing rear view of the dash. l

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a dash-board and a lap-cloth for vehicles, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth. I

The annexed drawings, to which referenc is made, fully illustrate my invention.

A represents the buggy-body, to the front of which the dash-board is secured by means of a hinge at each side. Each hinge consists of a part,- B,permanently secured to the buggybody, it being in the form of an L-shaped bar fastened to the bottom and inside of the front of the body, and at the upper end is an extension, B, which fits over the top of the front, and onthis extension are formed the two ears on a. The other part, 0, of the hinge eccentric ends 6 e, and provided with a central 1 hook, F, as shown.

The dash is constructed as follows: At each lower corner is a block, H, fastened to the part 0 of the hinge by a screw, d. These corner blocks are made to receive the bottom rod, I,

nect the bottom blocks with corresponding top blocks, L L and L, which latter blocks also receivethe top rod, K, and this rod is fastened in the side blocks, L L, by'a set-rivet, i. The

center rod, J, is fastened in the top center block, L, by a screw, It. All the top blocks are provided with small head-blocks m, to re ceive the top guard-rod, M, which is fastened in the center only by a small rivet, n. The outside upright rods are made to drop through the lower corner blocks, H, in taking the dash to pieces. This is easily done by first taking out the screws (1, which fasten it to the hinges, and then by turning the screws or rivets a halfturn the parts are loosened and can be sep arated. This dash can be taken to pieces and ,put together without ripping the covering. The covering can be made complete before putting it 011.

The dash can be inclined back in case of rain, so that the lap-cloth will fit on smoothly and on an inclined plane to carry off the water.

The top and bottom rods can be adjusted to expand; the dash to make. the covering fit smoothly.

Nrepresents the covering, which is all in one piece, and is drawn plain over the top rod and stitched at the bottom. 0 represents the lapcloth. 1? is a piece of oil-cloth, on two rods, It R, and set in sockets S S in the front of the dash, to take the place of the hinged dash when the latter is thrown back, to protect the lapcloth from mud. V is a front curtain outtoned to the front bow, WV, and provided with in combination with spring-catches and an eccentric lever for operating them, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above I have I hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two WltIlGSSGS-- THOMAS VVILHITE GWINN. Witnesses:

L. S. MEAD, J (W. BARKSDALE. 

